


Firelight

by Zephyr (Newsboyhat)



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Gen, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:29:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27168658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Newsboyhat/pseuds/Zephyr
Summary: Thanks for reading! <3
Comments: 2
Kudos: 37





	Firelight

It was late Wild had been assigned first watch that night; the others were all scattered around the camp sound asleep; he'd only had an hour left in his shift when it happened. He'd been adding fuel to the campfire making sure it'd be a long while before the next person on watch had to tend to it. Afterwards he settled back down and happened to catch a glimpse of Sky sleeping across from him by the fire. Which was a normal thing at this point in his adventure with the others Sky slept more than anyone else Wild had ever met. Though he couldn't help feeling like there was something off about the sight he squinted across the fire watching the shadows from the campfire flicker across the other heroes face it wasn't until he felt his eyes widen and his whole body freeze up that he realized what was happening. In the back of his mind Wild tried desperately to move his body to say something trying to find a way to warn his friends of what was happening so they wouldn't all be asleep and defenceless while he was locked away in his mind for who knows how long. Already though he was deaf to the sounds of the forest around him the edges of his vision dimming all he could do was sit there his eyes locked onto Skys face and the shadows the fire cast across it. Eventually though even that faded and along with it so did Wild...

The only sounds that could be heard in the dimly lit cellar were that of Princess Zelda's whispered prayers accompanying the distant explosions and the screams of castle town citizens. It had taken several hours but the soldiers who'd led the two from the main road towards castle town to the cellar in the now smoldering ruins of Mabe villager had made it very clear to the princess that it was too dangerous for her anywhere near the castle. Now with no other options available it had been decided that she would wait here with the others while Link went ahead to fight the Calamity. He spared one more glance at the faces of soldiers and villagers that crowded the cellar, the low candle light casting shadows across their grime and tear stained faces before heading up the cellar stairs.

In only a few days the calamity reduced Castle town into nothing but fire and chaos explosions and fleeing citizens jostled Link as he ran forward. Even more concerning was the lack of soldiers the only hylians Link passed through the courtyard were civilians. All of which stared at him as he passed by them desperate parents clutching teary-eyed children, shopkeepers with the few valuables they could save slung across their backs. They all stared at him with the same hopeful expression they knew what was about to happen. Link was about to either be their savior or their downfall. 

He wouldnt fail them, this was it, this is what he was going to fight for these people, for the princess, for the king this is what he and the other champions had been training for since…Link stopped dead in his tracks at the edge of the courtyard. Where were the other champions? The lasers from the divine beasts should be centered on the castle now shouldn't they? A cold feeling of dread enveloped him as he realized he might just have to face this on his own until the lasers from the Divine beasts appeared...if they ever did. No, no they had to be okay perhaps it'd taken them longer to reach their divine beasts than they previously thought. Link just needed to stall for time while the others got into position. But with the panic and fear coursing through him there was only one thing Link could think to do in this moment and so instead of continuing forward towards his destiny with the master sword weighing heavy on his back and under the eyes of all those in the courtyard Link did perhaps the most selfish thing he'd ever done in his life. He turned and ran left towards his family's home in west Castle town… 

If you asked Link only a few days ago what he thought of his home in castle town and assured him he wouldn't be thrown in jail for his answer he would've told you how for the past 5 years it had been nothing but a status symbol, something given to him by the king after Link was given his hero title. A constant reminder of his loneliness and of the growing distance between him and his family. A place he rarely lived preferring his room in the castle. Just something to clean a few times a year on the off chance his father and little sister Areia kept their promise to visit him. He then would have proceeded to go into great detail of all the times he'd happily thought of the thing burning down. Link hadn't thought he would ever see the day it would actually happen or that it would lead to so much heartbreak.

It was taking Link longer than he would have liked to find his house. Fire and debris from the nearby buildings plus rouge guardians made taking any part of the main Street nearly impossible. More than once Link had to double back and find a different route to avoid the skywatchers that seemed to be patrolling many of the alleyways. By the time he reached his street Link wasn't surprised to see that most of it was destroyed and by the time he reached his home he'd already given up hope that it would even be remotely intact. It turned out he was right, the only thing distinguishing the pile of rubble and smoldering wood that used to be his home from the rest of the wreckage were the multitude of destroyed guardians that lay scattered around it. Link took one last glance over at Hyrule castle desperately hoping to see the lights of the divine beasts before he turned back to the remains of his house and began digging through the rubble.

It was grueling work sifting through rubble moving aside pieces of stone that were as heavy as Daruks boulder breaker burning his hands on smoldering support beams. Link was constantly looking back at the castle waiting for the other champions or listening hard for the sounds of any approaching Guardian or sky watcher. He was only looking for one thing, a picture of his family. After the Champions ceremony Purah had gathered Link and his family together for a family photo. It was the first time in years Link could remember his father and sister seeming so happy to be around him. He'd tucked the picture in his nightstand for safekeeping the day before he left with the princess to the spring of wisdom. And if Link was going to fight the calamity today he at least wanted something from his family with him when he did….

After over an hour he found his nightstand or at least what was left of it. It was destroyed, broken and burnt to a crisp along with most of his room. Lightly kicking at the frame of his destroyed bed, Link let his eyes scan the rest of the debris, sure there was something else of his family he could take with him. A small glare caught his eye and Link spotted the end of his sister's telescope buried underneath a portion of ceiling He went to work digging it out of the pile. He hadn't been digging for too long though when his hand brushed against a piece of fabric Link paused a small feeling of dread gripping his heart before he began digging again at a slow pace that eventually turned frantic rock splintered wood and glass cutting at his hands until there was nothing left to undercover and Link stumbled back staring with horror at the image in front of him. 

Link found his sister buried under a pile of rubble around remnants of what used to be his bedroom, the telescope he'd given her for her 13th birthday still clutched in her lifeless hand. His father clutching her close as if he'd spent his last moments shielding her from the destruction...

Link let his clasped hands fall onto his lap, opened his and stared at the two small pyramids of stone from where he knelt in front of the house. It was an old tradition among the soldiers creating a makeshift headstone for the knights they weren't able to take home. He'd seen it done many times but this was the first time he himself had to do it. Link felt torn and a small part of him wanted to scream and cry and beg for his father and sister back and demand why the goddess would do this. The other part of him though wouldn't allow a single tear to fall and told Link if he had just been faster just been a better hero this wouldn't have happened. He had neither the right nor the time to grief for a family he'd allowed to die. 

With his legs weak from having knelt so long Link slowly stood and turned to stare at Hyrule castle. The other champions weren't gping to come to his aid and Link couldn't face Ganon alone with nothing but a sword. There was a contingency plan in place though if their plan failed. Which meant Link getting back to the princess and escorting her to kakariko village while they planned their next move. He took one last glance at his family's graves before turning his back to them and walking away. He still had work to do….

Link slipped in and out of alleyways running for the Castletown gates as fast as he could, trying desperately to shove his emotions aside for the time being. It should be easy; he'd been doing it for 5 years at this point. Focus on the task at hand absolutely nothing else could matter until the mission was finished. 

When he took a chance bolting down the middle of a main street Link told himself to ignore the fact that every step took him further and further from the graves of his family. That couldn't matter right now he had to get back to the princess. 

When he had to duck back into another alley to avoid a sky watcher. He told himself to ignore the fact that the other champions were most likely gone as well. It didn't matter he had to get the princess to Kakariko village. 

It didn't matter that by the time he reached the castle town plaza his steading breathing dissolved into grieving sobs that his heart was aching and his lungs were burning. Nothing else could matter until his mission was completed. 

So he kept running even though the tears and ashes clouded his vision. Even though everything around him seemed to blur. His feet no longer felt like they were hitting the ground; the screams and shouts of the civilians were growing quieter and more distant by the second. He couldn't make out anything around him but Link kept running he couldn't stop now he kept running. Eventually though even his mind faded away and he wasn't Link anymore….

Wild sat hugging his knees loosely against his chest and staring at the dwindling campfire. The fire was getting lower by the minute and would die out soon but Wild couldn't bring himself to go get more firewood. The sun was just starting to rise his shift long since over but Wild couldn't bring himself to wake any of the others. He couldn't bring himself to move at all simply staring at the fire turning the events of the memory over again and over again in his mind. 

Flora never spoke of what happened in the time between The Calamity resurfacing and Wilds death and now he could finally understand why. The fire death and destruction the Guardians caused. Remembering the faces of the soldiers and citizens the way they stared at him believing he had been their final hope, their supposed saviour and knowing he failed them filled Wild with a crippling sense of guilt and shame the desperation of the people running for their lives and the hopeful looks of the ones who waited for the hero to save them. The sinking feeling when the lights of the Divine beasts weren't there. The numbing grief his past self had felt after finding his family.

Wild hugged his knees closer to his chest. The last event of the memory had left him feeling hollow and cold. Despite what little he learned about his past on his adventure. Training at only 4 years old the crushing pressure put on his shoulders at 12 and after his adventure when he found out he was the knight who left Hateno for Castletown and never returned. A small part of Wild always hoped the first memory of his family would be a happy one. Instead thinking back on the memory he felt nothing but the same sense of grief he felt when he saw any other random civilian. He couldn't bring himself to shed a single tear for the family he lost that day….

The sounds of the other heros waking pulled Wild from his thoughts and he forced himself to move the sun was high enough now he could put out the campfire and make one better suited for cooking. Maybe once he returned home he could try and speak to Flora more about what happened that day get some closure for his past self. For now though he had a new family to take care of and keep safe. Nobody would die not this time.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! <3


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